An argument has been reported outside the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple on Waterloo Street, involving an 80-year-old woman who sells tissues and a man with one leg. The woman claims the man threw a packet of coffee at her during the scuffle on August 24.
According to the elderly woman, she was selling her usual wares when the man suddenly approached her and accused her of faking an eye injury to get sympathy from people. She said, “He claims my eye patch is fake to gain sympathy. I’m old, selling tissues, and being falsely accused. How can I bear it?” The auntie explained that she had injured her eye earlier in the year after a fall and had to be hospitalized for stitches. She added that she was told by her doctor to wear the eye patch to prevent infection, noting, “Wearing this is very hot, and I don’t want to either.”
They reportedly exchanged insults, and that’s when the man allegedly threw a plastic bag full of coffee at the woman. “He poured the whole packet of coffee over my head, soaking me all over, and I was so angry that I called the police on the spot,” the auntie claimed. She said that the man left the area by the time the police arrived.
A Look at Both Sides of the Story
When a reporter from Shin Min Daily News approached the man to ask about the incident, he became agitated and strongly denied all the accusations. He insisted that the woman’s statement was not true and said he would let his lawyer handle the situation since the police were involved. The man, who was on a personal mobility device (PMD), refused to comment further.
Sources from the area told Shin Min Daily that arguments among the many vendors there are not uncommon. It seems the elderly woman has been selling tissues in front of the temple for many years and is known for shouting at volunteers collecting donations, sometimes calling them “fake” and “fraud.”
The one-legged man is also said to have a history of disputes. An anonymous vendor claimed that he often bullies other senior tissue sellers and verbally attacks those he dislikes. This vendor also said that the man considers the area near the temple exit to be his own “territory.”
